The Woman Who Empowered Me Before I Knew the Word

This week, I am heading to Chicago for the EmpowHER conference. I am incredibly excited about the experience and honored to serve on the EmpowHER board.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting on my patio early in the morning, watching the birds and my doodles while thinking about EmpowHER and what it means to me.

Something hit me in that moment.

I am where I am today because of my mom.

She has always empowered me to believe I could become whatever I wanted to be. Watching her live, learning from her experiences, and seeing how she handled the hardest seasons of her life helped shape the woman I am today.

From my earliest memories, the two of us have been there for each other. Now, in this season of life, we are taking care of each other once again.

As I sat on the patio thinking about the conference, one thought kept coming back to me:

My mom deserves to be in that room.

So I asked if she wanted to come with me to Chicago and attend EmpowHER.

Her immediate answer was, “YES!”

There were no questions about the agenda, the speakers, or what she was getting herself into. She said yes, scheduled her nail appointment, and started getting ready.

Priorities.

Let me tell you a little about my mom.

She was born and raised in a small town in North Florida. The farthest north she has traveled is North Carolina, and the farthest west is Dallas, Texas. She has never had the opportunity to travel the country the way I have, and that is something I intend to change.

She has never been to Chicago. I have been there for approximately three seconds, so naturally I have appointed myself our tour guide.

What could possibly go wrong?

Chicago is the first city we are crossing off our bucket list.

When my mom was growing up, there wasn’t much female empowerment happening in her home. The expected path was simple: go to school, get married, have children, and work for the rest of your life.

College was not part of the conversation. Building a career was not the expectation. Retirement planning was not something many working-class families with limited education had the opportunity to consider.

My mom dropped out of school to marry my dad. It wasn’t until I was in my teens that she went back and earned her GED.

Can you imagine returning to school after being away for 15 years?

She didn’t stop there.

She went on to earn her CNA credential, cosmetology license, and training in X-ray technology and phlebotomy.

That is a powerful example for a young girl to witness.

Her life was not easy. There were years of mental and physical abuse. She endured more than any woman should have to endure, in part because she was determined to keep a roof over my head.

The sacrifices she made for me are unparalleled. They taught me what being a mother is truly about.

My mom is now 69 years old, and she lives with me. We have coffee on the patio almost every morning I am home. I make sure she is taken care of, from doctor appointments to her hair, nails, and all the other important things.

Of course, taking care of her does not mean I don’t enjoy keeping her slightly off balance.

I casually informed her while she was getting her nails done that I plan to interview her for a podcast after the conference.

Her face made it very clear that this particular activity had not received prior approval.

She is going to do it anyway.

Bringing her to EmpowHER is one way I can show her what she helped create.

I want her to see how she shaped me into a woman who can walk confidently into any room. I want her to see how the strength she gave me now allows me to support my family, lead others, and pour into women who are still learning to believe in themselves.

I cannot wait for her to meet Leslie Mathis, the founder of EmpowHER, and the other women in this network whom I have come to know and admire.

I am proud to attend EmpowHER.

But I am even prouder to attend with the woman who empowered me before I even understood what empowerment meant.

When I walk into that room in Chicago, I will not walk in alone.

I will walk in beside the most powerful woman to ever shape my life.

Chicago has no idea Mama Rose is coming.

Honestly, I’m not sure Mama Rose knows what she has gotten herself into either.